AU716534B2

AU716534B2 - Utilization of compositions which contain menadione for the biostimulation of plant metabolism in order to induce their resistance to pathogens and pests and/or accelerate their blooming

Info

Publication number: AU716534B2
Application number: AU50048/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Andres Antonio Borges Perez; Marino Jesus Fernandez Falcon
Original assignee: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas CSIC
Current assignee: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas CSIC
Priority date: 1995-03-15
Filing date: 1996-03-15
Publication date: 2000-02-24
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-15
Also published as: WO1996028026A1; AU5004896A

Description

ENV. POR:Telecopiad, Xerox 7021;12-12-96 18:53 4136417 UTILIZATION OF COMPOSITIONS WHICH CONTAIN

MENADXONE

FOR THE BIOSTflJLATION OF PLANT META OLISM IN ORDER

TO

INDUCE THEIR RESISTANCE TO PATHOGENS AND PESTS AND/On ACCELE ATE THEIR BLOOMING TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention is related to the general subje't of the action of biostimulants on plants and, in particular, to compositions which when they are applied to plants, the latter become more resistant to the attacks of pathogens and pests and when the compositions are applied to plant crops, blooming is accelerated. These compositions contain active components that are harmless from an environmental point of view, therefore, their application is not harmful to plants, animals or people.

PRIOR ART OF THE INVENTION The losses caused in crops, on the one hand by pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi) and, on the other hand, by pests (insects, mites, Nematoda), are of a great economic importance.

[Fraser Mechanisms of Resistance to Plant Diseases, R.S.S. Fraser (editor), Martinus Nijhoff/Dr. Junk Publishers (1985)], citing a report of the International Atomic Energy Agency, points out that crops may undergo severe losses of yield and quality as a result of many factors. In general terms, it has been estimated that about 30% of the worldwide production is lost each year and that, approximately, one-third of this loss is due to plant diseases. It has been calculated [Mackenzie,

D.R.:

"Towards the management of crop losses", in Challenging Problems in Plant Health (Kommendahl, T. and Williams, eds.), 82-92. American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, Minnesota (1983)] that there is a 14 annual loss of wheat crops in the United States due to diseases caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses. There are numerous IRAZ4{ reports on losses caused by specific pathogens of other ENV. POR:Telecopiad, Xerox 7021;12-12-96 18:53 4136417 6 2 crops [Large, "Losses caused by potato blight in England and Wales". Plant Pathology 7, 39-48 (1958); Broadbent, "The epidemiology of tomato mosaico. VII.

The effect of TMS on tomato fruit yield and quality under glass". Annals of Applied Biology 54, 209-273 (1980)].

The losses caused each year by the reduction of crop production, as a result of the attacks of pathogens and pests, are estimated in billions of dollars throughout the world.

t0 On the other hand, the possibility that advancing the blooming of plant crops implies, has doubtless advantages, for example for banana, papaya crops, etc., especially in the sub-tropical production areas such as Taiwan, Australia, Canary Islands and South Africa, among others, and located in some cases in climatological limits for this typically tropical crop.

The significant advance undergone by agriculture since World War II has been based, mainly, on combating thb weakness of plants caused by diseases (bacteria, viruses, fungi) and pests (insects, mites, Nematoda) by means of protecting plants with insecticides, fungicides, etc. Ir this way conventional agricultural systems are presently conditioned by the use of pesticides (synthetic and toxic chemical compounds) that weaken not only the treated plants themselves, but also many times the microorganisms in the soil (bacteria, actinomycetes, protozoa, algae, mold, etc.), which play important roles in the activity of the same, are also affected, which implies a subsequent loss of fertility thereof.

The danger to the environment, plants, animals and people, that the massive use of pesticides implies, has lead researchers to put forth other protection strategies.

The bibliography on plant growth regulators based ox vitamin K3 and water soluble derivatives thereof and derivatives thereof having a low water solubility is very ENVPOR:Telecopiad, Xerox 7021;12-12-96 18:54 4136417 7 3 small, the first reference appearing as a Patent in 1985 ["Plant growth regulator contg. menadione bisulphitegiving cold resistance to rice, vegetables, flowers and fruit trees". 83JI-179430, published: 24-04-85], and chronologically followed by the following Patents: ["Plant growth regulator--contains menadione dimethylpyrimirinol bisulphite as active component". 85JP-053466, published: 20-09-86], ["Citrus fruit quality improving agent--conta-ns water-soluble vitamin K deriv. as active component". 055993, published: 25-09-86], ["Plant growth regulator promoting increase in harvest yield--contains water-soluble vitamin K other than menadione bisulphite adduct". 054297, published: 25-09-86], ["Agent for promoting maturity of agricultural crops--contains water-soluble vitamin K deriv. e.g. menadiol dinicotinate". 86JP-028878, published: 20-08-87], ["Additive for rice seedlings cultivating mat-- contains water-soluble vitamin K deriv.

as active component". 86JP-030770, published: 20-08-87' ["Fatigue of strawberry root preventing agent--contair, water-soluble vitamin K deriv. as active component". 86Jp 032021, published: 22-08-87], ["Plant growth accelerator compsn. based on vitamin K, contg. menadione and menadiol cpds. with aromatic amine salts and a carrier". 542475, published: 16-06-88], ["Plant growth regulation".

76US-4764201, published: 16-08-88], ["Seed treatment compsn.--contg. water-sol. vitamin

K

3 deriv. of alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, etc." 89JP-040255, published: 04-09-90], ["Plant growth regulator for increased yield and quality--comprises vitamin K and choline salt as active components". 89JP-155629, published: 01-02-91], ["Plant growth promotion--with menadione bisulphite adducts of vitamin(s) or amino acid(s)".90IT-020777, published: 01-92], ["Growth activator contg. vitamin K derivs.--for agricultural or horticultural crop plant alleviating of chemical injury caused by herbicide". 90J-153870, 4 published: 16-01-92].

On the other hand, in Spanish patent application

P-

9301711, A. Borges Perez and M. Fernandez Falc6n, described for the first time the induction of resistance in plants to tracheomycosis in plants, by menadione compositions.

However, up to now, there are no references in the bibliography that relate this specific type of plant growth regulators, Vitamin K3 and water soluble derivatives thereof and derivatives thereof having a low water solubility, to the induction of generalized resistance to pathogens and pests of the plants treated with said type of regulators.

Stimulation of the advance of blooming of plants would, in principle, permit an attempt to bring blooming as close as possible to a specific time within the growth cycle, that makes the subsequent harvesting of the fruit coincide with the most suitable market time, in a specific geographic area, which would imply additional gains for farmers.

20 Up to now there have been no bibliographic references that relate to vitamin K 3 and its derivatives, both water soluble ones as well as ones having a low water solubility, to the stimulation of the advance of blooming in plant crops.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the use of compositions that activate the natural defence mechanisms of plants against the attack of pathogens or pests, without the use of such compositions that imply harmful effects to the environment, plants themselves, animals or people, and/or that can stimulate the advance of the blooming of plants.

In this sense, the itvention is based on the observation of the effect that plant growth regulators R 35 could have on the reinforcement of the natural defence mechanism and, as a result, on the induction of resistance to pathogens and pests of plants treated with said regulators.

Surprisingly, it has been confirmed that the use of a specific type of plant growth regulators, namely vitamin K3 and derivatives thereof (water soluble ones as well as ones having a low water solubility), are capable of stimulating the natural defence mechanism of treated plants and consequently of inducing resistance to pathogens and pests, and of stimulating the advance of blooming.

The present invention avoids the problems caused by the use of toxic pesticides, at the same time that it achieves a significant control of pathogens and pests on plants and allows the stimulation of the advance of 15 blooming of crops. This invention describes one type, unknown up until now, of abiotic exo-inductors of °resistance to pathogens and pests, that are systemic, a biodegradable, non-pesticide, non-toxic and harmless from a an environmental point of view, and that are not dangerous to plants animals or people.

In one aspect the invention provides a method of advancing the blooming of a banana plant, comprising the step of applying an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one of the following active components: 0.0001 to 200 ppm of Vitamin K3; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a water soluble Vitamin K3 derivative selected from the group consisting of menadione sodium bisulphite, menadione potassium bisulphite, menadione ammonium bisulphite, menadione magnesium bisulphite, and mixtures thereof; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a Vitamin K 3 derivative having a low water solubility selected from the group consisting of nicotinamide bisulphite, p-aminobenzoic acid, histidine, adenine, nicotinic acid, menadione tryptophan, and mixtures 35 thereof to the banana plant.

25/11 '99 THU 11:59 FAX 61 2 9957 3582 GRIFFITH HACK PO EXAMINERS Z015 6 In another aspect, the invention provides a method of inducing resistance in a banana plant to Fusarium oxysporum, comprising the step of applying an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one of the following active components: 0.0001 to 200 ppm of Vitamin Ks; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a water soluble Vitamin K 3 derivative selected from the group consisting of menadione sodium bisulphite, menadione potassium bisulphite, menadione ammonium bisulphite, menadione magnesium bisulphite, and mixtures thereof; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a Vitamin K3 derivative having a low water solubility selected from the group consisting of nicotinamide bisulphite, p-aminobenzoic acid, histidine, adenine, nicotinic acid, menadione tryptophan, and mixtures thereof to the banana plant- It has been possible to confirm that, when these compositions are applied to plants, they cause a specific increase of the endogenous level of the plant hormone indoleacetic acid, whose increase may be considered as being responsible for the biostimulation that brings forth the advantageous effects of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Preferably, according to the invention a composition is used that contains at least one of the active components 0.001 to 100 ppm of Vitamin K 3 0.01 to 5000 ppm of a water soluble Vitamin K 3 derivative, preferably a bisulphite; 0.01 to 5000 ppm of a Vitamin K3 derivative having a lower water solubility, preferably a bisulphite.

Preferably, the water soluble Vitamin K3 derivative is a menadione sodium, potassium, ammonium, calcium, magnesium bisulphite, or mixtures thereof while the Vitamin K3 derivative having a low water solubility is nicotinamide bisulphite, p-aminobenzoic acid, histidine, nicotinic acid, menadione trytophan, or mixtures thereof.

25/11 '99 THU 10:55 [TX/RX NO 6242] In an embodiment of the invention, specifically when the composition is applied by spraying, the composition contains 2 to 60 ppm of menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB), menadione nicotinamide bisulphite (MNB), or mixtures thereof, in which case it is also advantageous to add a wetting agent such as, for example, polglycol ether alkylphenyl.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an aqueous solution that contains menadione or Vitamin K 3 (2-methy- 1,4-naphthalenedione or 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone), Merck index 5714, C.A.R.N. [58-27-5] and/or menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) M.I. 5716, C.A.R.N. [130-37-0], and/or menadione nicotinamide bisulphite (MNB) is used to induce resistance to pests and pathogens, as well as to stimulate 15 the advance of blooming, of banana plants by sprinkling or spraying the leaves. In this case, the application can *preferably begin when the average height of the plants to be treated is approximately 20 cm., repeating the application afterwards at intervals of 80 to 100 days.

20 The application to the plant surface of the above mentioned compositions, containing an effective amount of S. one or more of the described abiotic exo-inductors, causes a protective response in the plant. The defensive response obtained in this way is a systemic type one, and therefore, 25 the treatment of one part of the plant leads to a defensive response through the entire plant. For example, 0.1 to mg. per kg. of plant treated may be used all year long as applicable suitable amounts.

The recommended way to apply the different compositions is spraying the part of the plant in the air, which does not exclude, for example: injection in the stem, direct application in the soil or another growth means of the plant, or indirectly by means of the irrigation water or the crop solution, or by immersion of the radicular system or all of the plant (or of the seeds) in the compositions.

The application and concentration of the compositions will depend on the type of plant, stage of growth of the same, as well as on the frequency with which and way in which the compositions are applied.

Likewise, said compositions may be mixed with various additives, for example: organic or inorganic fertilisers, insecticides, nematocides, fungicides, bactericides, herbicides.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding summary of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprising" is used in the sense of "including", the features specified may be associated with further t* features in various embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF'THE INVENTION The invention will be illustrated hereinafter based on some non-restrictive examples EXAMPLE ONE This experiment with a complete random block statistical design was carried out in a glass greenhouse with banana plants coming from the meristem culture of the Dwarf Cavendish crop. The plants were grown in 60 pots that contained 6 kg. of soil and one plant per pot. The ENV.POR:Telecopiad. Xerox 7021;12-12-96 18:56 4136417 ;12 8 height of the plants when the experiment began was approximately, 30 cm. above the surface of the soil, and they were 10 weeks old.

The soil contained in the pots was inoculated with the same amount of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cubense spores (approx. 8000 spores/g of soil). One-third of the plants was treated with an aqueous solution of menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) of 3 ppm. Another third of the plants was treated with an aqueous solution of menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) of 30 ppm. The rest of the plants (Control) were only treated with an aqueous solution.

0.01% of polyglycol ether alkylphenyl 40% (Bayer wetting agent) was added to these aqueous solutions in order to improve the wetting power thereof. Treatment consisted of spraying the part of the plant that appeared above the soil in the pot until the plant was completely wet. Treatment started on the same date on which the soil of the pots was inoculated, and was repeated every 90 days. After six months the plants were removed from the pots and the rhizomes were dissected to determine the infection index of each one of them. The grading used to describe the damage caused by the disease varied from zero for a healthy rhizome to ten for a rhizome damaged 100 The plants treated by spraying an aqueous MSB solution as well as those treated only with an aqueous solution were fertilized with macro and micronutrients depending on the needs of the crop. The results of this experiment are given in Table I.

M

AO

ul 0a P-I

W

C) U1C C) LnlH7 TABLE 1

C

Comparative study of the infection index of the rhizome of plants treated with spraying the part in the air with aqueous solutions of two different concentrations of menadione x sodium bisulphite (MSB) every 90 days for 6 months as of the inoculation date, in contrast -s to plants also inoculated but only treated with spraying of aqueous solutions in the same x conditions. The pots were grown in pots that contained soil that was inoculated with the same amount of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cubense spores PLANT TREATMENT SEVERITY OF THE DISEASE INDUCED RESISTANCE PERCENTAGE OF

M

(Average infection index DISEASED PLANTS of the rhizome measured WITH SERIOUS c six months after inocula- SYMPTOMS (IndexS tion (1)

OZI

o.3 MSB (30 ppm) in aqueous spray every days for 6 months 1.4a 65.9 10.0 Dwarf MSB (3 ppm) in aqueous Cavendish spray every 90 days for banana plant 6 months 2.6b 36.6 20.0 Aqueous spray every days for 6 months (Control) 4.1c 50.0

A

-cJ 41 ENV.POR:Telecopiad, Xerox 7021;12-12-96 18:57 4136417 ;#14 Average value obtained with 20 repetitions.

The values followed by a different letter in the column are significantly different 0.01), based on the Ji 2 test (Chi-square Goodness-of-Fit Statistic procedure).

Induced resistance: 100(C-B)

C

B Average infection index of the rhizome in treatment with MSB 3 ppm, or in treatment with MSB 30 ppm.

C Average infection index of the rhizome (Control treatment) These results clearly indicate that the treatments of plants with 2-methyl-1,4-napthoquinone sodium bisulphite (MSB), in the indicated conditions, have been capable of significantly reducing the damage caused by disease in contrast to the untreated (control) plants, especially treatment with MSB 30 ppm.

EXAMPLE 2 This treatment was carried out in a commercial plant (plastic greenhouse) with 900 banana plants of the Giant Cavendish crop in the third cycle. Half of the plants were treated with 50 ppm of an aqueous solution of menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) by spraying the leaves every three months during the growth cycle. The rest of the (control) plants were only treated with an aqueous solution.

Polyglycol ether alkylphenyl 40 (Bayer wetting agent) was added to these aqueous solutions to improve the wetting power of the same. The treatment consisted of spraying the part in the air until they were completely wet. The plants treated by spraying an aqueous MSB solution as well as those treated by spraying only an aqueous solution were fertilized with macro and micronutrients according to the \35 needs of the crop. The results of this experiment are ENV, PORTelecopiad, Xerox 7021;12-12-96 18:58 4136417#15 11 given in Table 2: TABLE 2 Comparative study of the percentages of blooming of Giant Cavendish banana plants treated with 50 ppm of aqueous solutions of menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) by spraying the leaves every three months during the growth cycle, in contrast to the blooming percentages of the plants treated only with aqueous (Control) solutions in the same conditions.

Blooming Date Control MSB (50 ppm) July 1994 2.0 8.4 July 1994 3.3 11.6 August 1994 6.4 22.0 August 1994 11.3 33.6 5 September 1994 22.5 44.0 September 1994 39.7 59.5 These results clearly indicate that treatment of the plants with 2 -methyl-l,4-naphthoquinone sodium bisulphite (MSB), in the indicated conditions, has been capable of stimulating the advance of blooming in contrast to untreated (control) plants.

EXAMPLE 3 In another experiment the same procedures as in example 2 were used, except that the commercial plant was located in a different geographical and climatic area and the number of plants tested was 300. The results of this experiment are given in Table 3: TABLE 3 ENV,POR:Telecopiad, Xerox 7021;12-12-96 18:58 4136417 Comparative study of the percentages of blooming of Giant Cavendish banana plants treated with 50 ppm of aqueous solutions of menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) by spraying the leaves every three months during the growth cycle, in contrast to the percentages of blooming of the plants treated only with aqueous (control) solutions in the same conditions.

Blooming Date Control MSB (50 ppm) October 1994 11.5 24.1 20 October 1994 17.2 31.9 December 1994 24.8 51.8 December 1994 30.5 54.6 These results clearly indicate that treatment of the plants with 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone sodium bisulphite (MSB), in the indicated conditions, has been capable of stimulating the advance of blooming in contrast to the untreated (control) plants.

Claims

1. A method of advancing the blooming of a bananaL plant, comprising the step of applying an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one of the following active components: -00001 to 200 ppm of Vitamin K 3 -0.001 to 10000 ppm of a water soluble Vitamin K3 derivative selected from the group consisting of menadione sodium bisuiphite, menadione potassium biguiphite, menadione ammoniumn bisuiphite, menadione magnesium bisuiphite. and mixtures thereof; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a Vitamin K 3 derivative having a low water solubility selected from the group consisting of nicotinamide bisuiphite, p-aminobenzoic acid, histidine, adenine, nicotinic acid, menadione tryptophan, and mixtures thereof to the banana plant.

2. A method of inducing resistance in a banana plant to Fusarium oxysporun, comprising the step of applying an effective amount of a composition comprising at least one of the following active components; -0.0001 to 200 ppm of Vitamin K 3 -0001 to 10000 ppm of a water soluble Vitamin K 3 derivative selected from the group consisting of menadione sodium bisuiphite, menadione potassium bisuiphite, menadione amnmonium bisulphite, menadione magnesium bisuliphite, and mixtures thereof; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a.Vitamin K 3 derivative having a low wate-r solubility selected from the group consisting of nicotinainide bisulphite, p-aminobenzoic acid, histidine, adenine, nicotinic acid, menadione tryptophan, and mixtures thereof to the banana plant. 25/11 '99 THU 10:55 [TX/RX NO 62421 25/11 '99 THU 11:59 FAX 61 2 9957 3582 GRIFFITH HACK 44 PO EXAMINERS 12017 14

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the composition comprises at least one of the following active components: 0.001 to 100 ppm of Vitamin K3; 0.01 to 5000 ppm of the water soluble Vitamin K 3 derivative; 0.01 to 5000 ppm of the Vitamin K 3 derivative having a low water solubility.

4. A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the composition is applied to an aerial part of the banana plant. A method according to claim 4 wherein the composition is applied by spraying.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the composition is applied by sprinkling.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the composition is applied by spraying a leaf of the banana plant.

8. A method according to any of claims 4-7, wherein the composition comprises 2 to 60 ppm of menadione sodium bisulphite and/or menadione nicotinamide bisulphite.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein the composition comprises 3 ppm of menadione sodium bisulphite.

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein the composition comprises 30 ppm of menadione sodium bisulphite.

11. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the composition further comprises a wetting agent. 25/11 '99 THU 10:55 [TX/RX NO 6242] 25/11 '99 THUT 12:00 FAX 61 2 9957 3582 GIFT AK4* 0EAIES [J1 GRIFFITH HACK 444 PO EXAMINERS laois

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the wetting agent is polyglycol alkyiphenyl ether.

13. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the composition is applied to a stem of the banana plant.-

14. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the composition is applied directly to a growth means surrounding the banana plant. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 and 21 to 26 wherein the composition is reapplied to the banana plant about 80 to 100 days after the day of the first application of the composition.

16. A method accor ding to claim 15 or 26 wherein the composition is applied when the banana plant is at least cm high.

17. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the radicular system of the banana plant is submerged in the composition.

18. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein all of the banana plant is submerged in the composition

19. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a seed from which the banana plant grows is submerged in the composition. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the composition also includes at least one additive selected from the group consisting of organic and inorganic 25/11 '99 THU 10:55 [TX/RX NO 62421 25/11 '99 THU 12:00 FAX 61 2 9957 3582 GRIFFITH HACK 4-4 PO EXAMINERS 9019 16 fertilisers, insecticides, nematocides, fungicides, bactericides and herbicides.

21. A method according to claim 13 wherein the composition is injected into the stem of the plant.

22. A method according to claim 14 wherein the growth means is soil.

23. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the composition is applied indirectly to a growth means surrounding the banana plant.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein the growth means is soil. A method according to claim 24 wherein the composition is applied to growth means by irrigation.

26. A method according to claim 15 wherein the composition is applied at intervals of about 80 to 100 days after the day of re-application of the composition.

27. A method according to claim 1 or 2, the method being substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying Examples.

28. Use of a composition comprising at least one of the following active components: 0.0001 to 200 ppm of Vitamin K; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a water soluble Vitamin K derivative selected from the group consisting of menadione sodium bisulphite, menadione potassium bisulphite, menadione ammonium bisulphite, menadione magnesium bisulphite, and mixtures thereof; 25/11 '99 THU 10:55 [TX/RX NO 6242] 25/11 '99 THU 12:00 FAX 61 2 9957 3582 GRIFFITH HACK PO EXAMINERS 1l020 17 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a Vitamin K 3 derivative having a low water solubility selected from the group consisting of nicotinamide bisulphite, p-aminobenzoic acid, histidine, adenine, nicotinic acid, menadione tryptophan, and mixtures thereof for advancing the blooming of a banana plant.

29. Use of a composition comprising at lest one of the following active components: 0.0001 to 200 ppm of Vitamin K 3 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a water soluble Vitamin K 3 derivative selected from the group consisting of menadione sodium bisulphite, menadione potassium bisulphite, menadione ammonium bisulphite, menadione magnesium bisulphite, and mixtures thereof; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a Vitamin K 3 derivative having a low water solubility selected from the group consisting of nicotinamide bisulphite, p-aminobenzoic acid, histidine, adenine, nicotinic acid, menadione tryptophan, and mixtures thereof for inducing a banana plant to resistance to Fusarium oxysporum, A use according to claim 29 or 30, the use being substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying Examples.

31. A composition comprising at least one of the following active components: 0.0001 to 200 ppm of Vitamin K 3 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a water soluble Vitamin K 3 derivative selected from the group consisting of menadione sodium bisulphite, menadione potassium bisulphite, menadione ammonium bisulphite, menadione magnesium bisulphite, and mixtures thereof; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a Vitamin KX derivative having a low water solubility selected from the group consisting of nicotinamide bisulphite, p-aminobenzoic acid, histidine, 25/11 '99 THU 10:55 [TX/RX NO 6242] 25/11 '99 THU 12:00 FAX 61 2 9957 3582 GRIFFITH HACK PO EXAMINERS Q021 18 adenine, nicotinic acid, menadione tryptophan, and mixtures thereof, when used for advancing the blooming of a banana plant.

32. A composition comprising at least one of the following active components: 0.0001 to 200 ppm of Vitamin K3; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a water soluble Vitamin K 3 derivative selected from the group consisting of menadione sodium bisulphite, menadione potassium bisulphite, menadione ammonium bisulphite, menadione magnesium bisulphite, and mixtures thereof; 0.001 to 10000 ppm of a vitamin K 3 derivative having a low water solubility selected from the group consisting of nicotinamide bisulphite, p-aminobenzoic acid, histidine, adenine, nicotinic acid, menadione tryptophan, and mixtures thereof, when used for inducing a banana plant to resistance to Fusarium oxysporum.

33. A composition when used according to claim 32 or 33, the composition being substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying Examples. Dated this 25 t day of November 1999 CONSEJO SUPERIOR INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK 25/11 '99 THU 10:55 [TX/RX NO 6242]